Enrollment
1,271
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Horn Lake, MS
Horn Lake High
Federal NCES profile for Horn Lake High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280132000190
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horn Lake High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Horn Lake · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 76.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Horn Lake High has class sizes larger than 70% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horn Lake High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Horn Lake, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132000190 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horn Lake High compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horn Lake High
Horn Lake High is a high-poverty, large high school in Horn Lake, Mississippi, enrolling 1,271 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 76.2% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,271 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 44 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 71.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 459 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,271 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Southaven High School (1,876 students) alongside Horn Lake High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Horn Lake High compares
Horn Lake High on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▼ 5% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,271 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,271
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
71.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$8,778
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
278
in-school suspensions + 181 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 74.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
White 10.2%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.2, Horn Lake High is about as mixed as the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Co School Dist, which includes Horn Lake High.
$8,778
Per student
-27%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 51.9%
Federal 14.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Horn Lake High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horn Lake High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,876
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,271 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horn Lake High's federal record.
- Compare Horn Lake High against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto Co School Dist's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Horn Lake High
How many students attend Horn Lake High?
Horn Lake High has 1,271 students enrolled. It is a high school in Horn Lake, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horn Lake High?
The student-teacher ratio at Horn Lake High is 14.4:1, which is 8% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horn Lake High?
76.2% of students at Horn Lake High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horn Lake High?
The largest demographic group at Horn Lake High is African American at 74.4% of enrollment, in Horn Lake, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horn Lake High?
Horn Lake High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horn Lake High rank among public schools in Horn Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Horn Lake High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Horn Lake, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Horn Lake on the city page.
Is Horn Lake High a good school?
Horn Lake High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Desoto Co School Dist?
Besides Horn Lake High, Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students), Southaven High School (1,876 students), and Hernando High School (1,529 students). See the Desoto Co School Dist district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.